Tommy Pham

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #15 prospect in 2015
  Each of Pham's prior four seasons ended prematurely because of wrist and shoulder injuries--but he finished 2014 in the majors. Pham opened 2014 as Triple-A Memphis' fourth outfielder but surged once given an everyday role. He strikes out too much, chasing pitches out of the zone, but his strength yields solid gap power once he connects. His 20 stolen bases were a career high, and he's still learning to read pitchers' tendencies. Scouts love his defense in center field, where Pham has plus range and average arm strength. His athleticism also allows for wall-scaling, home run-robbing catches. Pham fits the fourthoutfielder profile, and as a 40-man roster member will challenge for that role in St. Louis in 2015.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #23 prospect in 2014
  A collection of desirable tools, Pham hasn't had any trouble sending off sparks of potential every time he's on the field. It's just getting on the field that has been difficult. He has the arm and range for center field, the speed to steal bases and occasional bursts of hitting ability. The skill he hasn't shown is health. In his pro career, Pham has missed time with a wrist injury, several shoulder maladies and the eye disorder keratoconus that requires him to wear special contacts to correct his vision. He had shoulder surgery to end his 2013 season just as he surged toward September callup consideration. Originally a shortstop with an untamed arm, Pham has found center to be a better fit for his live-wire athleticism. He finally earned a promotion to Triple-A Memphis in 2013 with a .301/.388/.521 turn at Double-A Springfield, his fourth season there, and he clobbered lefties for a .328/.392/.522 line. He avoided free agency by signing a two-year deal with the Cardinals for 2013 and 2014. Injuries have kept him in the organization even though he has been exposed to the Rule 5 draft. But injuries have also kept him from securing his place in the Triple-A outfield, until now.
• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #22 prospect in 2007
  Pham was the consensus pick as the best draft-eligible high school player in Nevada in 2006. Though he pitched fewer than 10 innings in high school, Pham attracted attention on the mound in short stints on the showcase circuit by showing a 90-92 mph fastball and surprising feel for a slider. Scouts and college coaches were split on which position suited him best, but Pham was clear that he wanted to hit. The Cardinals hinted at taking him in the third round, but Pham's agent (since fired) priced him out of the first five rounds. The Cardinals took a flier on him in the 16th round and signed him for $325,000, the same bonus they gave to third-rounder Gary Daley. Pham has the tools to stay at shortstop in pro ball with a plus arm and good footwork. His indifference to improving defensively turned off some area scouts, but his bat should allow him to profile for second base or third if he needs to move. Offensively, he has good bat speed and the ball jumps off his bat. He's an above-average runner who can cover 60 yards in 6.7 seconds. He had four hits in his first game but didn't make many adjustments in his debut and struggled with sprained fingers on his right hand. He still has a higher ceiling than many of the more polished college hitters in the Cardinals system and should anchor the infield at Quad Cities this year.